Fire aid team puts out call for help

November 26, 2006|By Jennifer Shapiro Special Correspondent

Elaine Brown has helped victims of fires, shootings and suicides get through difficult emotional times during her two years as a volunteer for the Palm Beach County Fire Rescue Community Assistance Team, known as CAT.

Volunteers ride in county vehicles following firefighters and immediately step in to emergencies. They offer emotional support and crisis intervention, and bring items such as teddy bears, blankets and clothing, said Alicia Kula, program coordinator.

Brown, who is semi-retired and lives in Avalon Estates west of Boynton Beach, heard about the program from a neighbor. She felt she had something to offer because she had worked with hospice patients in Kansas City. "I feel like I want to do something to better someone's life," she said.

But recruiting volunteers since the program started in October 2004 has proven difficult because of the nature of the work. Thirty countywide volunteers range in age from 21 to 86, including students from Palm Beach Atlantic University, retirees such as Brown and professionals, Kula said. Her goal was to attract 200 to 300 volunteers, yet the number has only peaked at 45, she said.

Volunteers work scheduled shifts, and some are on call for after-hour and major emergencies, Kula said.

"It's not something for the lighthearted. They have to be able to deal with trauma and grief and crisis," Kula said.

Irv Shuman, who lives in Palm Isles west of Boynton Beach, heard about the team through his work with the county's Community Emergency Response Team, called CERT, which trains people to respond to emergencies until first responders arrive.

For the past few months, Shuman, has been volunteering four to six hours a week and would like to go to churches, synagogues and mosques to see if they can recommend people who would be good volunteers, he said.

"The program is unbelievable," he said. "I had a loss in my own family and understand what they are going through."

The county started the program to help handle social service-type calls and respond to families after cardiac arrests, said Capt. Richard Ellis, who modeled the county's program on the one in Phoenix.

The Phoenix program, which has been around about 15 years, has difficulty recruiting volunteers, too, according to Ellis.

"It's a constant challenge," he said.

Even though the corps is small, team volunteers put in more than 3,100 hours this year, compared to 2,700 hours last year, Kula said. Last year, Brown who volunteers two days a week, was awarded the Customer Service Award for logging 440 hours.

The county fire rescue serves 700,00 people, according to Kula. "The population and demand is there," she said.

There are enough volunteers to assist the nine battalions, but Kula said she would like at least one volunteer stationed in each one. She is not giving up trying to recruit more people to help.

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What: Volunteer for Palm Beach County Fire Rescue's Community Assistance Team